As those of you who have been following me for a while would know, I left my sanctity of a sweet little life in Sydney in July 2012, after two and a bit years of being settled, to follow my heart and whims back to life on the road again.
It’s been almost 7 months and what a roller coaster of a journey it has been! Instead of heading straight to South America, as I had originally thought, due to unexpected circumstances I ended up roaming around Europe until mid December 2012, working, catching up with friends and fortifying the foundations from times gone past.
The universe is always much wiser than I so I followed the signs and flow and ended up writing, working and learning my way through Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Austria and Holland, where I was living for about three months under the most unusual circumstances. I like to call this period of my life the “falling in love with a schizophrenic” phase. It was very drugs, sex and rock n’ roll… And one day soon I’m finally going to write a memoir about it. You’ll love it, I promise!
After a few more weird and scary experiences I ran away to Prague, where I spent 10 days mending my heart and soul, and revising my goals and values amongst the gold, red and bright orange leaves of autumn and spectacular architecture that makes up this incredible city. My memories of Prague are incredibly sweet and romantic, though I spent the entire time completely on my own, barely speaking to the staff of my hotel, nor the endearing ladies at the nearby farmers market, as I tried to trace where I had gone wrong and got myself into such confronting situations in the past month.
I then was gracefully taken in by a very close friend, who set me straight, gave me some tough love and sent me back out into the world after caring for me and feeding me for two weeks in Leipzig. After a Berlin techno party to shake off the remaining dust from the past months on a Friday night in mid November, I flew to the UK to do some work and catch up with friends. By mid December I knew I had to make a decision. Stay in London for Christmas or choose a new destination.
So three days before my departure, I booked a one way ticket to Cancun, Mexico. Finally I was getting closer to my intended destination! Since then life has been and incredible roller coaster of miracles, just as I know and love it to be.
I spent my first four days in Mexico in a house that belongs to the Princess of Yemen, and then travelled to the archaeological ruins of Palenque where I met my friend and soul sister and current gypsy companion, Lily. Since we’ve joined our journeys we’ve attracted adventure like a pair of thrill-seeking minxes: we celebrated Christmas in San Cristobal, then went to Tulum for New Years where we were very kindly invited to camp on an empty $7 million dollar piece of land with its own private beach by a pirate who currently had the position of caretaker over the land. We celebrated in style at a party in an Eco-resort where I ran into a friend whom I haven’t seen in 6 years. A few days later we were given free entry to one of the world’s biggest house music parties: the BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen after having a business meeting with one of the DJ’s who was playing there, and ended up perching ourselves in a mansion that a friend and his entourage had hired, that they generously shared with us.
After four days of dancing we desperately sought the sanctity of quiet beach life and returned to Tulum, only to be inundated with party-goers who had the same thoughts. One morning we both awoke and realised: it was time to go. We packed up, booked a bus to Belize city and moved our coterie south that very day. Belize is a strange country, both lusciously beautiful and yet dark and curious; there is a dark undercurrent that touches everyone and everything due to being on the cocaine route that plagues much of the coast from South to North America and back again. It’s been a fascinating journey as we discover and explore what this country has to offer and it’s secret and hidden underbelly beneath the tropical allure.
Now we are heading further south. As we are both working at a festival called Envision in Costa Rica at the end of February, the plan is to make it down there over the next two weeks, so right now we are in transit. As you are reading, I’m on my way to Nicuaragua, overland via Honduras, apparently one of the most violent and dangerous countries in the world, and on the same day as the launch of my new digital guide Build Your Own Business Blog, as if life isn’t exciting enough already! But I know we are safe, protected as only professional gypsies can be, by being naive and innocent and aware and street smart, all at the same time!
Which brings me to why I love sharing my life with you:
I share all my thoughts, lessons and journeys with you for one reason: I want to encourage you; and inspire and ignite in you the fire and passion to live life on your own terms. We all have a choice. We are all free. I implore you to break free of your social conditioning, the should and shouldn’t, the way you were told things are and truly be yourself and live your life you own way.
In no way do I decree to have all the answers, know the best way for you or have a fool-proof method of how do do this. Every day I make mistakes, every day I recreate myself and my life; every single day I stand at the ledge of my existence and scream back at my echo, asking “Life, do what you will with me! Show me and guide me!”. And every single moment I am guided and protected to shown exactly what I need at exactly the right time.
Every single day I choose to make a new choice and to live life on my own terms. And I am free. And I am alive. And I know this life is worth living because I I fling myself into its arms and receive back alchemy. I love observing what magic I can conjure through my thoughts, beliefs and actions in my every day life. I love being a part of life and yet, simultaneously an observer of life. This is why I love sharing my life with you. Because I am indulgent enough to believe we all have the choice and the freedom to create the lives we want and dream of. And because I want it for you.
Beautiful Vienda!
I daydream of joining you on your gypsy travels…
Looking forward to hearing more soul sister.
xx
Ah Jess, it would be so wonderful if our journeys crossed and we could share a path somewhere wonderful! Who knows, it might happen one day soon x
Love that you shared all of this with us. It sound divine. How much longer are you on the road? X
Thank you sweetie! As usual, I have no idea how long my travels will continue this time… We see how life goes!